I have no idea why yesterdays blog post went AWAL. I also have no way to retrieve it. Life is a strange and interesting place.
Plus on top of that, yesterday, we lost internet for quite some time. But I have it back up now at 9.15 am and so am taking a minute out of the gardening and building day to get you all back up to date. We were working hard outside all morning – working on Poppy’s farrowing pen and look what Kim found.
Kim tells me this is a rat snake. We are not sure of the exact species. But he toddled about in her arms for quite some time rattling his pretend tail.
Even the snakes smile on the farmy.
The birds are fine, but will remain in solitary splendour for a week or so.
Tane on the other hand is even slower now. He gets up when encouraged, eats and drinks then moves very slowly to another space and heaves himself back down for another sleep. Naturally the Vet is not in his rooms today so he will be going for a check up tomorrow.
I hope you have a lovely day, I am off around to the West Barn to collect a ladder for the goats. I am going to train them to run up and down ladders – something I am sure I will live to regret.
Kim and Fede send their love and Berit is on his way.
Love your friend on the farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
52 responses to “Snakes and Ladders”
So glad Berit could help you today! I would love to come with him next time! Hope all went well.
xo Merridee
My internet connection is still deeply unreliable but Fede has updated my phone so we can still keep in touch.! Just smaller. Love love. Ci
Thanks to ‘Zazamataz’ have now actually read yesterday’s missive – great! My IT knowledge does not reach as far tho’ I did try to ‘enter’ thru’ the previous post! Snakes – do not like them and just hope all the Illinois ones are not poisonous!! Do hope that all the ‘fun comments’ re Tane’s amorous satisfactions are true and he is not a male spider in hiding who has to pass away after he has procreated !!!! Not funny!!!!!! So Kim/Fede will be Kim/Berit by Sunday . . . . good bye with our love and welcome also thus . . .
I really miss seeing snakes. Hawaii has none. Rat snakes can be iffy – some seem friendly enough, and others a bit smelly and nasty (like garter snakes). As I was born in the year of the Snake, I’ve always either had them as pets or held a fascination for this much misunderstood reptile. Some people think snakes are out to get them, but their fears are a much worse foe than the private reclusive snake. Scare one and yes, if they have venom, they will use it. But they don’t walk into churches and strike 9 people dead now, do they? We are by far the scariest species, at least to me. Aloha, C.
Now why would you want to teach goats to climb ladders? Or are you just kidding? (sorry about the pun)
You don’t need to “teach” a goat to climb a ladder. Just give them a ladder going from Point A to Point B. But honestly? I can’t see this ending well. Seriously.
Glad the peahens are OK. Oh, dear, goats and a ladder! Feel better soon, Tane!
Goats + ladders = chaos (and photo ops)
I know you’ve probably long since moved on, but I wanted to chime in quickly to ID the snake for you. It is indeed a ratsnake – specifically, it’s a foxsnake. If you’re west of the Mississippi River it’s a western foxsnake (Pantherophis ramspotti), and if you’re east, it’s an eastern foxsnake (Pantherophis vulpinus). Harmless snakes that are beneficial to have around the garden. Thanks for sharing your interaction in a positive light. They really are very pretty snakes!